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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. track — a path
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rush — hurry
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. roll — a list
  8. degree — an amount
  9. board — to get on
  10. track — a song
  11. roll — a cake
  12. degree — from a university
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. degree — temperature
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — to keep track
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. root — of a word
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. board — a committee
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com